Hokonui Hills
Encyclopedia
The Hokonui Hills, also known as The Hokonui Mountains or simply The Hokonui, are a range of hills in northern Southland, New Zealand. They rise to 600 metres above the surrounding Southland Plains
, of which the hills mark a northern extremity.
The Hokonui Hills also splits the Southland Plains in two - to the north and east lies the broad floodplain
of the Mataura River
, and to the south and west lie the plains of the Aparima
and Oreti River
s. The Oreti's major tributary, the Makarewa River
rises in the south of the Hokonui Hills.
The hills lie within a triangle formed by the towns of Gore
to the east, Lumsden
to the north, and Winton
to the southwest, and cover approximately 1,200 km².
During the nineteenth century, the region gained a reputation for the production of illicit alcohol
known as Hokonui moonshine
. The association between the region and illicit alcohol has passed into New Zealand folklore.
Southland Plains
The Southland Plains is a general name given to several areas of low-lying land in the South Island of New Zealand, separated by the rise of the Hokonui Hills in the north. It forms a sizeable area of Southland Region and encompasses its two principal settlements the city of Invercargill and the...
, of which the hills mark a northern extremity.
The Hokonui Hills also splits the Southland Plains in two - to the north and east lies the broad floodplain
Floodplain
A floodplain, or flood plain, is a flat or nearly flat land adjacent a stream or river that stretches from the banks of its channel to the base of the enclosing valley walls and experiences flooding during periods of high discharge...
of the Mataura River
Mataura River
The Mataura River is in the Southland Region of the South Island of New Zealand. It is 190 kilometres in length.The river's headwaters are located in mountains to the south of Lake Wakatipu. From there it flows southeast towards Gore, where it turns southward...
, and to the south and west lie the plains of the Aparima
Aparima River
The Aparima River is located in Southland, New Zealand. It has its headwaters in the Takitimu Mountains, south of Lake Te Anau, and flows south for 100 kilometres before entering Foveaux Strait near Riverton at the north end of Oreti Beach....
and Oreti River
Oreti River
The Oreti River is one of the main rivers of Southland, New Zealand, and is 170 kilometres in length.The Oreti has its headwaters close to the Mavora Lakes between Lake Te Anau and Lake Wakatipu, and flows south across the Southland Plains to its outflow into Foveaux Strait at the southeastern end...
s. The Oreti's major tributary, the Makarewa River
Makarewa River
The Makarewa River is the largest tributary of the Oreti River, and is located in Southland, New Zealand. It flows for 60 kilometres from its source in the Hokonui Hills, joining the Oreti just north of Invercargill....
rises in the south of the Hokonui Hills.
The hills lie within a triangle formed by the towns of Gore
Gore, New Zealand
Gore is a town, surrounding borough, and district in the Southland region of the South Island of New Zealand.-Geography:The Gore District has a land area of 1,251.62 km² and a resident population of...
to the east, Lumsden
Lumsden, New Zealand
Lumsden is a town in Southland, New Zealand. Lying in a gap in the surrounding hills, it is the location of a major junction halfway along the north-south road from Queenstown to Invercargill, where it is crossed by the east-west road from Gore to Te Anau. The town had a population of 453 as of the...
to the north, and Winton
Winton, New Zealand
Winton is a town in Southland, New Zealand. It is located close to the east bank of the Oreti River, 30 kilometres north of Invercargill and 50 kilometres south of Lumsden. It is named after Thomas Winton, a local stockman who lived in the area in the 1850s...
to the southwest, and cover approximately 1,200 km².
During the nineteenth century, the region gained a reputation for the production of illicit alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
known as Hokonui moonshine
Moonshine
Moonshine is an illegally produced distilled beverage...
. The association between the region and illicit alcohol has passed into New Zealand folklore.